The Mask
by Irv Hodgenstone
Summary: A new terror is apparent in Mossflower Woods, one that would make all the other Warlords and Vermin who Redawall has faced seem like naught but helpless infants. But unfortunatly, Redwall has absolutly no choice but to do what this Savage Beast says...


Prologue: Unveiling 

Everything was silent on the northern edges of Mossflower Woods… at least mostly silent. The rustle of dead leaves and the sound of cheerful whistling broke through the crisp air. The sounds were made by a Mouse traveling north. He was an odd Mouse, but a Mouse no less.

Rather than wearing the plain green tunic that most Mice from Redwall wore, he wore a deep purple and maroon coat with silver embroidery and a puffy purple hat to go with it. On the outside though, (other than his odd attire) he looked just like an ordinary mouse, out for a stroll in the evening.

_And that's exactly what I want you to think._The mouse, named Landin thought to himself, grinning.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when a strong gust of wind blew Landin's hat off his head and carried it through the trees.

Landin cried in protest, running below his hat, jumping desperately for it. Though, after awhile it got too high up and the forest got far too dense for him to follow his precious hat any farther. Gritting his teeth and pounding the ground with a footpaw in frustration, Sondin continued on the trail to the north.

"I'll charge him seven hundred _more _Gold Pieces for that! That was my Grandfather's hat, it had once belonged to the High King of Taradem… or so my Grandfather said… you never could tell with the old codger…." He muttered angrily.

He stopped in his tracks, looking at the odd thing which lay directly in front of him.

_It can't be! _Landin thought, astounded. He dug out a piece of rolled up parchment which he had been keeping in his cloak's puffy sleeves. He unrolled it, looking from it to the sight ahead of him.

"That can't be it!" He mumbled in confusion. "Well, it says here that that's it, so I guess I don't have much of a choice now."

Landin had been expecting some sort of homely cottage or even a mansion, but not this old stone tower, which wasn't even half the size of most of the trees in Mossflower.

_Well, as long as I get paid the rest of it, I couldn't care less where he lives… _Landin thought, more for comfort, because the old tower truly did look eerie.

Putting as brave of a face he could, the young mouse walked down the path, to the edge of the moat that surrounded the tower.

Landin looked to the top of the tower, and even though he didn't see anybeast there, he yelled with his paws cupped around his mouth.

"Hello! Is anyone there?" After a moment (and by then not expecting anyone to respond) LAndin began to turn around and walk away, but a shrill, whining voice called back from behind him, causing the gray hairs on his neck to stand on end.

"You the mouse the Sage is lookin' for?"

_Please tell me she's not… _Landin bit his lower lip, turning around to the source of the voice. And of course, becuase it was just Landin's luck, there on the path behind him stood his least favorite creature in all of Mossflower, a haggard old rat.

Putting on his best charming smile (despite the fact that he was furious on the inside) he addressed the rat.

"Hello ma'am. Yes, I believe I am the mouse Sage Darren is looking for."

The rat just stood there, completely still, as though Landin wasn't even there. The Mouse leaned forward, now visibly agitated.

"Ma'am?" He snapped his claws in front of her face; her only response was a twitching in her left eye. Now Landin lost his cool, he walked a few steps closer to her and spoke angrily in her blank face.

"I find it kind of rude that I was invited here twice by your Master, Sage Darren and to be ignored like this, and after I lost a family heirloom! Does your Master want the information or not? Because if he doesn't I'll ask him to pay for my hat and then gladly be on my way!" Landin didn't realize he'd been yelling the whole time until he had finished speaking. Then, after a moment of silence, the rat seemed to snap out of whatever sort of trance she was in and responded.

"You the mouse the Sage is lookin' for?"

Sondin rubbed his temples and looked up at her, wearing a mock grin and his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yes Ma'am! I believe I am!"

The rat squinted at him, as if trying to detect the sarcasm in his voice. After what seemed like a half hour to Sondin the rat nodded her head approvingly, but still slightly weary.

"Right then… follow me."

Landin nodded sweetly, head cocked slightly to one side, but when the ancient rat turned away he muttered astounded, under his breath. "I hate rats."

The rat had led him to the very edge of the moat, and then had activated a concealed lever. The second she did so, the rusted gears and chains holding the drawbridge up against the watch tower creaked, slowly letting it down across the moat.

The rat motioned for Landin to go first onto the bridge. He hesitated as the bridge looked just as old as the tower did and he wouldn't be surprised if it crumbled right there in front of him. Though, under the icy stare of the bizarre rat, Landin stepped onto the rotting wood, which had been waterlogged from the water in the moat.

Landin walked across it slowly, and had almost slipped off a few times but finally got to the entrance to the tower. He walked a few paces in, looking at the chandelier that hung from the cobwebbed ceiling and the old purple carpets. In fact, Sondin was so absorbed in the oddness of the entryway that he'd completely forgotten about the old rat, at least until she placed one of her wrinkled paws on his shoulder, leading him away from a rack of old weapons that hung from one of the chipped stone walls.

"Come this way young mole, and you will get paid what you were promised." The rat droned on.

Landin nodded, satisfied but still amazed at the rat's stupidity, he didn't even think it worth arguing over the mole comment. "Alright, but make sure I am paid well for that hat that I lost by making this long journey over here mind you. Redwall is no short distance away from here so I expect to be paid _another_ seven hun— no, make that nine hundred Gold Pieces, this Sage of yours better be—

Landin stopped, realizing that the rat hadn't heard one word he said, so he followed her, silently down a hallway that seemed to get thinner, shorter, and darker the farther down it they went. After awhile Landin concluded that it _must_ be getting shorter because before he could stand up straight and walk down it, but now he had to bend over almost double just to manage not hitting his head on the cobwebbed ceiling.

"Are you sure this is the right hallway, because it seems to be getting sm- smaller and darker." Landin asked nervously.

The rat replied without looking back or stopping. "Yes, I'm quite sure this is the right one as I've lived here for seventy eight seasons now." The rat cackled, brushing a cobweb from her face.

Landin laughed nervously and followed her for a few more steps, until the rat came to a sudden stop.

"What is it? Is something the matter, because if there's a problem I could just go back and—

The rat cackled again. "Hmm, the brave young mole seems to be a bit nervous in Darren's Halls, eh?"

Landin looked down at his footpaws, blushing under his dusty fur. "No, n-not at all, I w-was just…" he tried to think up an excuse, stuttering, the old rat was amused now.

"Oh, well no, there's no problem, I just 'ave to unlock this door, see." The rat dug an old key out of her worn cloak, fitting it into the lock of the small door in front of her.

_That's odd…_Landin thought_. That door wasn't there before… perhaps it was just the darkness, playing tricks on my eyes,_he reasoned. By this time the rat had opened the door and stepped through, Landin did the same. Right when he did he regretted it. The door slammed behind him, leaving him in complete darkness.

"H- hello, Ma'am… are you there?" Landin squeaked desperately. An echoing cackle was the reply. A chill ran down the Mouse's spine.

"Th-this isn't funny!" He yelled, reaching a hand out into the darkness. "Where are you?!"

Unsettling silence was all Landin could hear now. _This was a mistake! _Landin thought._I never should've taken this job!_

Suddenly, something covered Landin's mouth, muffling his screams of distress. Then Landin saw colors exploding before him, the colors of the woods in autumn mostly. Then Landin's mind was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

Pain was the first thing Landin was aware of when he woke up. And not just pain as though you stubbed your footpaw on a rock, but as though somebeast was driving a white- hot metal pole into your chest. Then, in looking up, Landin realized that was exactly what was happening to him. He screamed in agony as his torturer drug the iron pole across his chest, searing fur and flesh. Tears streamed down Landin's eyes.

"What do you want from me?!" He wheezed, sobbing. Then everything in the dark cavern Landin was in became as bright as the sun, stunning Landin for a moment, blinding him. The low voice of his torturer sounded from above him.

"Do you know who I am?"

Landin was too shocked to speak, as his eyes had adjusted somewhat to the light. The creature standing over him wasn't like anything he'd ever seen before. It had fiery yellow eyes and ivory teeth and claws. Its dark fur was wiry and short, Its ears pointed like horns. The creature laughed at Landin's awed face.

"I..." the creature proclaimed proudly. "... am Lord Mask, the Cruel... although, I'll wager you don't very much want to hear that last part of my title, eh. You better know me as Sage Darren." Lord Mask hissed cruely and pushed the metal pole onto Landin's chest again.

"Aaaah! What do you want from me?!" Landin screamed, trying to fight back, but couldn't because of the thick chains that bound him to the metal table he was on.

"I want you to give me what I said I would pay you seven hundred Gold Pieces for... just a location, that's all." Lord Mask grinned, his teeth glinting in the bright light.

Landin hesitated, this was a mistake. Lord Mask drove the iron rod once more onto Landin's chest, this time twisting it around and dragging it along his skin. Then, he removed the pole, pushing it down on Landin's neck. "I will ask you once more." He hissed. "Where?"

Landin gurgled, trying to get air. "R-redwall..." Lord Mask grinned, a quiet hiss escaping through his fangs. He took the pole off of Landin's neck, and just when Landin thought he would finally be set free, Lord Mask drove the spiked end of the white-hot pole into Landin's exposed chest.

Lord Mask leaned close to the dying Mouse's face and whispered the word, as though it contained some magical power of its own.

"Reeeeedwaaaaall." Then, the savage creature hissed into Landin's ear... it was the last thing he'd ever hear.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Wow! I can't believe I wrote that much in so little time! And plus, I haven't even been on Fan Fiction. net in months! But, now that it's Spring Break, I am determinded from this point on to be faithful to this Fic... sorta like my Spring Resolution I suppose. =) I would like to give out special thanks to Jade Tealeaf for helping me get aquainted and used to Fanfiction. Before I was just sort of experimenting around with it, trying to write a Fic, but now I feel like I am truly ready! Any critical or non-critical reviews are GREATLY appreciated! I can't wait to see where this story takes me and I tell you this... it will be a good one! Unfortunatly though (well, not unfortunatly for me) I am going on a trip to Oregon but will be back on the 10th and I promise you I will post the next chapter that very day! Once again thank you to Jade Tealeaf also for filling me in on the Redscape contests (which I will be entering when another one comes out this Spring). Thank you! =)**


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